*SPOILERS!* Heavy Rain ending thoughts/feelings

[Maciariello]

So there are threads about the demo and the game in general, so how about one where we discuss the game's ending(s) and how you liked/disliked the way your story unfolded? Even though the thread has the spoiler warning in the title, I suggest wrapping the 'spoil' tag around anything that will give away the identity of the killer, the outcomes of various choices, and the overall endings to your story. Please, keep in mind that there are people out there who may accidentally stumble onto this thread unintentionally (however unlikely that may be), and ruining the different endings would really take a lot of the story's intrigue out of the game. A simple spoil tag may make all the difference.

It's no secret that this game has multiple endings due to the choices made throughout the game, so I'm eager to hear about your ending and how you feel about it! The beauty of Heavy Rain lies within the individual differences we all will most likely share once we complete the game, so tell us how you did things and the outcomes they had.

My significant other and I both bought, played and beat this game today, and our endings were totally different. Mine was a happy ending whereas hers was most likely the worst possible ending available. We talked about it and I realized how much different our stories were compared to one another. Obviously, crucial plot scenes were left in tact for continuity's sake, but there were also scenes that I experienced that she never even saw.

Spoiler: For example, in her game, Norman Jayden gets killed in a fight. She was unable to apprehend the junk yard criminal and he knocked her out, handcuffed her to her car, and threw her into a compactor. She got out of the compactor but died in the skirmish afterward. In my game, I kept him alive during that fight and never even saw the scene with the compactor. Later on, I experienced an entire scene in a nightclub with Jayden that she never saw because her Jayden was dead.

It's things like this that make the game so interesting and different. I've only scratched the surface of the differences between our respective play throughs, too. Character relationships, characters staying alive, characters being brought to justice, entire scenes and so much more were different between our games.

Spoiler: In my ending, the killer is discovered and killed, Ethan saves his son, Madison falls in love with Ethan through the course of the game, and Jayden kicks his drug habit and is recognized for bringing the killer to justice. In her game, Ethan kills himself, Shaun is never recovered, Madison is left to deal with her insomnia's nightmarish manifestations and the killer gets away. There's so much more to each ending, but I hit the main points.

At the core, the story is the same, but the outcomes and endings were totally different. It's possible that she and I had the polar opposites in terms of story, but I'm anxious to hear how your story turned out as well!

Overall, this game floored me with how great of a murder mystery it was. The story has a couple holes, but holds together firmly aside from those small details. I've never played anything quite like it before and it's been an experience unlike any game I've played before it (no, I have no played Cage's others). It truly is a glorious game with a fantastic narrative and intense emotional appeal.

[Che]

Just played through the entire game tonight at Block's house. We actually had four of us that controlled a specific character and would hand off the controller depending on who's scene it was. It made for some interesting decisions and changed the game for each other.

The story is downright amazing, and the gameplay is something I hadn't seen before. I absolutely loved it. I'd probably rate it 9.5/10.

We're definitely going to start a new game and play through it differently.

[Maciariello]

Which ending did you get? How did it unfold?

By the way, that's an awesome idea. I should do that with some of my friends, too.

[Che]

Which ending did you get? How did it unfold?

By the way, that's an awesome idea. I should do that with some of my friends, too.

Spoiler: Well, since we played using 4 people to control a character each, one of the guys we were playing with was terrible and got the girl killed in the struggle with the doctor after we took a sip of his drink. He slit her neck with the saw. Then in the fight with Jayden and the Origami Killer on the conveyor belt, Block ****ed up and got Jayden smashed in the face with the sledge hammer. He dies from impact, and then falls into the grinder. Ethan saves his son after drinking the poison (and not dying, it was a bluff), and they get a new apartment together. Ethan visits the grave of Madison and wonders what it would be like to live with her. The Origami Killer is walking back to his girlfriend whom he meets in the first scene as the hooker (the girl you save in the drowning car, if you choose to save her) and she's figured out what he's been doing. She shoots him in the face. It's funny how you say your wife died in the junk yard scene. I intentionally ****ed up part of the fight just to see what would happen, and he strapped me in the car too, but I grabbed the gun from the glove compartment, shot off the handcuffs, and escaped the car. Then you fight the guy again, as he gets out of the crane. On one of the parts the big guy gets his jeans caught in the tracks of the still-moving crane (because he jumped out to fight me), and gets run over. Jayden lived!

Great freaking game. So many different ways for things to happen.

[midgetbob]

We had a blast with this game. Block and I picked it up at 10 am and played until I had to leave. At that point was when che and the neighbor came over and started a new game. When I returned, I jumped back in and the ending was amazing. Loverly game... loverly.

[Maciariello]

Che, that's so cool that your game ended up that way!

Spoiler: Madison actually lived in my game, as did Jayden. She drilled a hole into the crazy doctor's chest at that part and he died. She gets some information about a guy named Paco at a nightclub and goes to investigate. She works her sex appeal on Paco and he makes her strip for him, but she knocks him out and gets some answers from him as to who's using the apartment Ethan was in. Jayden apprehended the junk yard owner (I chose to use the drug during the fight) and eventually makes his way to the same nightclub Madison was at when she confronted Paco. Jayden actually runs into the Origami Killer in Paco's room after the killer puts a bullet through Paco's brain and there's a big fist fight that ensues. You can't see the killers face because it's wrapped up in a cloth and he's wearing a coat with a fedora. Madison goes back to Ethan's motel room and they have sex. After they fall asleep, Ethan wakes up and the cops come to apprehend him. He gets away and goes down to the docks where his son is. Madison finds John Sheppard's mother and figures out who the killer is. She goes to his apartment and he confronts her there, setting the whole place on fire. She escapes the burning building and gets away. The killer goes down to the docks to find Ethan. Ethan gets there and finds his son. The killer tells him to open the grate and get his son out (as well as why he did this to him). As Ethan turns, Jayden flies out of nowhere and hits the killer. They run outside onto the conveyor belt and have their fight. Ethan saves his son. Jayden beats up the killer and he falls into the Mortal Kombat grinder and dies. Jayden has killed the Origami Killer. Madison and Ethan move in together with Shaun. Presumably they live happily ever after and give each other lots of hugs and kisses in their new life together. Everything works out for them. Jayden is praised on the news for single-handedly bringing down the killer, he gives up his drug, and Carter is still a d**khead. Lauren Winter spits on the grave of the Origami Killer and presumably hates men even more than she already did.

And then I realized I had just played a masterpiece in interactive story telling.

I agree with you, Midgetbob. Loverly is the correct term.

[Leksandar]

I finished the game earlier today and I've been bored ever since. Compared to Heavy Rain everything feels dull. If only I could somehow keep following those characters. Seriously. Argh. I'm depressed. That was a really good game.

Spoiler: In my ending Jayden ended up killing Shelby after giving him a second chance when he was hanging from the ledge on that garbage disposal thingy, beat his addiction, but when he was sitting at his desk afterwards these blue, transparent tanks started showing up everywhere. At first I thought it was caused by his detox, but on second thought, and after reading some opinions from others who also got the same ending for him, it seems his digital (?) butler was talking about ARI and not the drugs when he told him not to use it too much so I guess he got some kind of brain damage because I spent too much time in it when I was looking for the last clue. Ethan managed to save Shaun but was killed by the police while leaving the abandoned factory or hangar or whatever it was. I was kind of expecting it as I managed to get Madison arrested when she was trying to convince Blake of his innocense, but I still loudly said "no" when it happened. I usually don't make sounds when watching a movie or playing a game, but very rarily it happens involuntarily. With Pixar films, for example. Well, that's how awesome Heavy Rain is. Then I got to see Madison watching Shaun and his mother standing by Ethan's grave, and then she was signing the book she had written at a book store and some Vincent person came over to her and alluded to a sequel that the game's director has implied isn't going to happen. I couldn't stand what happened to Ethan so the first thing I did was start the last chapter anew and have Madison save him so that they walked out together without anyone getting shot and later got an apartment together.

Did I mention I really enjoyed this game?

[Andromeda]

Wow after reading the endings you got I got a different ending from you as well. Though it is very similar to a couple of yours.

Spoiler: The biggest difference between mine and the others that I turned away when Madison tried to kiss Ethan. I was like no! You got a wife still, I know you're separated, but I hoped all of this would end up bring them back to together. Unfortunately, that did not happen. So my ending with Ethan was just him and his son looking at a new apartment. Shelby was saved by Norman when he was slipping only to end up dead anyway in the struggle and Norman came out the hero. He gave up the drugs and is still seeing those tanks and things from ARI. I sort of figured that it was ARI that was bad for him and not the drugs. Lauren spits on Shelby's grave not understanding anything of his reasons. And well I don't even really understand most of the reasons that Shelby did with Lauren. He helps her and protects her all that and is still the killer. I don't know. Madison does her book and is on some TV show. During the book signing some stranger name Vincent talks to her in a suspicious tone and then is not around. Sounds like sequel to me or she's still just suffering from insomnia. She did have a nightmare of herself getting killed in her apartment. So I wouldn't put it past her. And I didn't see about about Carter the jerk police officer.

Oh and my best friend, she got really upset over the scene with Madison in her apartment. She really seemed to take offense to the developers using the men attacking her and killing her to show being helpless as a bad choice and should have done something different. When I told her she was taking it too seriously she just yelled at me that's she's a woman and allowed to be offended by it. I personally thought she was overreacting over a story telling choice.

[Leksandar]

The way the female character is presented, especially compared to the male ones, is kind of funny when I think about it. I mean,

Spoiler: there are two nearly identical scenes where you have to get past a group of bodyguards, but while all Shelby has to do is start a fight to keep them busy, I had to have Madison button up her shirt and tear off half her skirt to get by. Also, pretty much all of Madison's action scenes consist of her being helpless and barely surviving these really intense encounters against inhuman things like fires and that surgeon.

I had a period where feminism felt like the right thing and all that, but I don't really mind it in this game, of course you dont why would you youre a boy etc, as the game borrows heavily from film noir where female characters, at least in my experience, tick like this. You know, kind of dangerous and good at surviving, yet still helpless. In any case, I found Madison sympathetic throughout so I guess they at least kind of knew what they were doing.

Yesterday I wasn't sure if I'd ever play the game again as I was afraid going back and changing stuff would ruin the original experience, but as some time has passed I really don't feel like that anymore, so I'm thinking of checking out some of the other endings later today. I'm especially curious to see

Spoiler: Shelby getting away with it, as well as Blake trying on ARI.

I'll probably report back if I find anything really neat.

[midgetbob]

Block and I spent a few hours getting different endings and picking up new trophies. We have seen about 5 or 6 different endings now, and still haven't seen them all yet.

This game still amazes me with all the changes that can take place.

Also, I think we got to 70% for trophies or something like that.

[Leksandar]

I happened to read a really convincing article so I'm not going to do as planned. I think it's misleading of the developers to make trophies that you only get by seeing all the endings in the game when it contradicts the designer's philosophy. I was originally planning on not playing around with the branching paths, while I did want to, but the trophies made me make the assumption that this was an intended way to play the game. Oh well. No harm done.

[Maciariello]

Woah, those are some different endings. It never stops amazing me how a variety of people can have such different experiences.

Spoiler: And I got the "Jayden seeing the tanks" ending too, but I didn't really get it until now. Thinking back on the butler and his advice, it makes sense now about ARI giving the user brain damage. Now, I didn't get his ending, but someone mentioned seeing one where Carter puts on Jayden's glasses at the end and seeing Jayden through them. Anyone want to clarify what the significance of that is?

[Che]

Woah, those are some different endings. It never stops amazing me how a variety of people can have such different experiences.

Spoiler: And I got the "Jayden seeing the tanks" ending too, but I didn't really get it until now. Thinking back on the butler and his advice, it makes sense now about ARI giving the user brain damage. Now, I didn't get his ending, but someone mentioned seeing one where Carter puts on Jayden's glasses at the end and seeing Jayden through them. Anyone want to clarify what the significance of that is?

Yes, we got that.

Spoiler: Jayden dies in ours. The asshole cop puts them on at the end. Then Jayden walks up to him and freaks him out. The signifiance is, the more Jayden used the glasses the more he became part of it. At the end when he's figuring out who the killer is, he's bleeding from the face from using it so much. Maybe it's a combination of the drugs and using the virtual reality stuff, I'm not sure on that.

[Andromeda]

Spoiler: Carter deserves to get freaked out by Jayden considering all of the things the guy did just to catch a killer. I understand why he was doing it, but he was just simply in the belief that there was no wrong to be had if the killer is caught in the end. The ends justify the means, and I like that at times. But Blake was just such a jerk about the entire thing that you really can't like the guy. At first with the first scene with Jayden and Blake, Blake didn't seem that bad. But once you got to the office and Jayden was basically treated like a leper it was pretty clear that everything was pretty dark, especially Blake. It is surprising how you really can't see anyone of the characters as been pretty good or pure or what have you, they're all broken people corrupted and tainted in some way that they are flawed. Its really interesting. I have to ask though I'm a really like squeamish person so I'm dwelling and shouldn't but with how much you sort of feel like you're Ethan in the game. The third trial where you had to cut off your finger. How long did it take you, did you hesitate in any of it. Or so disconnected that you weren't affected. I went around the around looking for so many outs before doing and even then I stopped several times. I even paced the room thinking about it. I think that scene and with drug dealer were some of the most powerful moments in the game that I'll always remember. Speaking of which, did you think it over a ton with the drug dealer. I held the gun on him for like a minute or two going through thoughts in Ethan head trying to decide myself. I did pass all of the trials, but wow they really make you feel bad about a lot of things that Ethan goes through just to save his son.

I want to replay the game, but I don't know if I can with some of the scenes. I guess the more I do it the less it'll mean to me, but still. The emotions and voice acting is really strong and makes you believe it.

[Unknown Entity]

Well, I just finished Heavy Rain.

Spoiler: I got to the warehouse in the end with all my characters still alive. Madison escaped the house, but that was the last I saw of her until the end scene. Ethan saved his son, while Jayden and Shelby fought atop the conveyor belt. I saved Shelby from falling, but the dumbass thought he'd have the final punch and so I got Jaydon to resist him, leaving Shelby to fall into the slicer. Lovely.

Final cut scene:

Spoiler: I got the ending when Ethan, Shaun and Madison get their own place, and seem happy and ready to put everything behind them. Jayden appears on a talk show being cheered for being a hero, and throws the drugs down a toilet. Lauren is at Shelby's grave, which she spits on.

My thoughts:

Spoiler: I certainly enjoyed this game, and would never have guessed who the killer was, although that scene in the antique shop confused me a little because it seemed too quick for someone to have popped in through the window silently to kill the guy and run out again. Now I know the ending, I know why. Even so, I doubt the sound of a typewriter hitting a skull, with a possible yell would go unnoticed. >>; There were many things you see at the start of the game which could have led you straight to the killer before it became made known. For example, when you're in Shelby's home for the first time, there's a photograph in his desk which is identical to that of the one in the hospital. I'm sure there are more, and on my next play-through, I'm sure I'll discover/remember more. I'm curious as to if you can see Shelby at the beginning, standing in the crowd when the first son dies too. I wasn't too happy at the quick development of the relationship between Ethan and Madison. She patched him up a few times, and then they had sex as if they'd known each other longer. I guess maybe the idea was that they had fling as some sort of emotional release, but I don't get how Madison can talk about wanting a relationship with him afterwards if that was the case. There just wasn't enough scenes with them together for "love" to build between them. Trust, maybe. But if my son had been kidnapped, sex would be the last thing on my mind.

I can't wait to get back and find the other endings. There are so many things I want to do differently, and the more I think about the different possibilities, the more endings I think I'll find. There's got to be loads.

[Priscilla]

I just recently finished my first playthrough.

Spoiler: I got the ending where Ethan, Madison and Shaun get a house together. I thought their relationship bloomed fairly fast. But I guess maybe they connected because they went through a very traumatic experience together? I killed Jayden in the car yard. That was a silly mistake on my behalf and I wish I didn't. So at the end Shelby was chasing Madison and Ethan killed him. I got to see Carter put on the ARI glasses. Oh, I left Lauren to die in the car when it was under water as well. So I had nothing with her after that. I think they are my main differences.

[TobiasRainey]

The story's one of the greatest I've every known, I loved it. However, my favourite character ended up being the Killer so I wonder what that says about me as a person...

[Che]

The story's one of the greatest I've every known, I loved it. However, my favourite character ended up being the Killer so I wonder what that says about me as a person...

Don't worry, I liked that person a lot too while playing through the story. I think they kind of do it to you on purpose.